Legaia 2: Duel Saga
Legaia 2: Duel Saga (known as Legaia: Duel Saga in Japan) is a 2001 console role-playing game developed by Prokion and published by Sony in Japan and Eidos Interactive's Fresh Games label in other regions. It was released for the PlayStation 2 as the sequel to the 1998 title Legend of Legaia. Gameplay Legaia 2: Duel Saga continues its predecessor's approach to turn-based battles, the "Tactical Arts System". The game also does away with traditional magical Abilities; with the exception of Ayne and Maya (whom is a magician who can cast elemental magic), all other party members can only access magic through items, or their "Origins." Also featured in the game are a large amount of mini-games, quests and optional challenges to take on. A guild is present at the town of Kravia, from which players can choose to undertake quests; there's a casino at paradise isle Phorchoon; minor characters in several towns challenge Lang with small dares, such as planting rice and side-jumping. Another feature is Camping; accessible at predetermined spots in dungeons and anywhere on the world map after a certain event, characters will set-up camp to rest. Here, it's possible to get to know characters more and even watch interactions between them. It's also possible to prepare meals, provided they've been learned by characters and there's a stock of needed ingredients. The crafting of more powerful weapons, armor and accessories is also possible here. In mini games such as Centurion Challenge and Battle Arena are bosses more powerful than the last boss, Avalon. Additionally, the player can meet and fight Avalon before the last battle in the Battle Arena in the semifinal round. First featured in Legend of Legaia, the "Tactical Arts System" is present in this game. The similarities are immediately known and seen. For one, you have to input button commands. Combining these button commands unlock moves called "Arts". Therefore, the Arts system makes the Legend of Legaia system feel more like a fighting game and not a typical RPG battle system. Once you unlock an art move, the combination of buttons is put into a menu. If the combination is valid and unlocked an Art, you can select it by pushing the triangle button when you are inputting your button commands. Inputting battle commands is limited to the number of "Art Blocks" a character has; the total maximum for all characters are 15. Fortunately, it's possible to combine attacks together if the last button of the combination matches the initial one of the next you want to chain. There are several types of arts moves: NORMAL ARTS are basic moves that do a decent amount of damage, and gain you AP. HYPER ARTS are more powerful, but you lose AP from doing them. MYSTIC ARTS are combinations of a Character's finest attack with his/her Origin's powers; they require 100 AP, more than 50% of Max MP and the character must possess half HP or less to do them, but they compensate with their sheer damage potential. VARIABLE ARTS are impressive double team moves, executable by any combination of two party members, but each must execute a different half of the VARIABLE ART. Combining One of the features in this game is combining. To combine, you need one item to combine with another item. Doing this will increase the strength of that item. You can do this with weapons, armor, and tools. To reach the final result of an item you need to combine the previous item with a heaven's secret. Accessory combination in Legaia 2 is a very complicated process that is not documented sufficiently online. While there is tons of information on how to create specific accessories, there is very little on the passing of specific abilities from accessory to accessory. For instance, the Tireless Ribbon contains the ability 'Max AP'. This is arguably the best offensive ability in the game; however, a default Tireless Ribbon has other abilities that are less than ideal. This is where the passing of abilities from accessory to accessory becomes important. Once a Tireless Ribbon is properly leveled, it is possible to use it to create lower-level accessories with Max AP as an extra ability. Using this new lower-level accessory, it is then possible to create other accessories which sometimes include Max AP as an extra ability that does not appear normally on the given accessory. Using trial and error it is entirely possible to create custom accessories with extremely useful abilities. Sadly there is little to no information on specific accessory recipes that will yield incredible accessories. Plot Legaia 2: Duel Saga is centered around a group of people known as "Mystics"; these people are outcasts, usually shunned by the rest of the common folk who mistake them for monsters. It is not without reason, though, since they can summon nature spirits called "Origin". One of these Mystics is Lang, a youth adopted by the militia leader of the small village of Nohl and recruited into its defense force to protect the Sacred Azure Stone, a mysterious crystal which supplies the town with endless water. The game begins on Lang's first day at work, which sets a series of events into motion that ultimately put the fate of the world in danger. Started with the ambition of a Mystic to creating a new world by destroying the current one, Lang teams up with his fellow adventurers to save the world.